Indo-Pak secret tunnel linked to firing from Pakistan?

Jammu: India will take up with Pakistan the issue of unprovoked firing along International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Secretary R K Singh said on Friday, indicating that it could be linked to the recently unearthed secret tunnel.

Singh, who reviewed the security situation along IB and LoC, did not rule out the presence of other tunnels similar to the 400-metre underground passage along India-Pakistan border in Samba district which was detected on 28 July.

AFP

"We cannot rule out anything, that is why we will be alert," Singh said while replying to a question about possibility of more tunnels along the border.

"We will also raise the issue of stopping firing with Pakistan," he told reporters close to IB at Octerio BOP, 50 km from Jammu.

Singh, who visited forward areas along IB in Suchetgarh, Octerio and Abdulian in R S Pura sub-sector in Jammu district, reviewed the situation along the border line in view of the increasing incidents of firing and ceasefire violations in August.

Regarding the firing from the Pakistani side, he said "one reason which we could make out is to that probably it was to mask the construction of tunnel, which is in our sector.

"Normally what we used to see was sporadic firing that they wanted to cover infiltration," he said, adding that "in other sectors (chilyari), we understand that firing would have been done to show that we do not detect the tunnel".

Singh said while in some sectors, "some reasons for firing are apparent, but in other areas it makes us suspicious and we need to take it up with Pakistan."

Asked if the firing was aimed at halting the Geological Survey of India from uncovering any "tunnel network", he said, "They cannot stop them (GSI). Survey will happen. Every two to three months, we will carry the survey."